Mums and dads across the UK are being urged to watch Netflix’s new crime drama, Adolescence. The series touches upon the gut-wrenching way social media can influence youngsters amid the ‘manosphere’ trend, with parents encouraged to speak to their children and teens as it could save a life.
The Netflix series was released just as Kyle Clifford was jailed for killing three women with a crossbow – his ex-girlfriend Louise Hunt, her sister Hannah Hunt and their mother Carol Hunt. He had been searching for misogynistic podcasts and viewing Andrew Tate videos online just hours before he took their lives.
he show’s filming reveals how a seemingly typical young person who struggles with self-hatred and vulnerability can be radicalised without anyone realising it. Netflix’s Tudum says: “While Jamie’s story, specifically, isn’t based on a real person or event, the idea for the series did spring from reports that co-creator Graham had heard about on the news, of young boys being involved in knife crimes.”
In an interview with Tudum, actor Stephen Graham said: “There was an incident where a young boy [allegedly] stabbed a girl. It shocked me. I was thinking, ‘What’s going on? What’s happening in society where a boy stabs a girl to death? What’s the inciting incident here?’ And then it happened again, and it happened again, and it happened again. I really just wanted to shine a light on it, and ask, ‘Why is this happening today? What’s going on? How have we come to this?'”
On Reddit’s r/netflix forum, many people have been discussing the impact Adolescence has had on them, and the importance of checking in on children and teens regarding their mental health. Taking the time to open up a personal and deep conversation with them could be exactly what they need.
One user called Liquid_Lunch_1991 posted: “It takes a lot for a show/movie to upset and unsettle me. I wanna say with total honesty this show completely and utterly f***** my s*** up. I admire the audacity of the filmmaking and writing and omg the acting is incredible, but seriously. This is the first time I’ve ever watched something I wished I could unwatch.”
The post quickly triggered a flood of responses. A user named Heygurl34 replied: “Really good. As a parent this broke me. I think every parent should watch this.” Another called Rude_Signal1614 added: “Yeah, hits really really hard as a dad.”
They added: “Trying to do so much for your kid, and hoping they turn out okay. But knowing that you can’t control everything and for many parents and children things aren’t okay. It’s just heartbreaking.”
What is Adolescence about?
Adolescence is a four-part limited series currently available for streaming. It features Stephen Graham. Each episode is shot in a single, uninterrupted take, creating a powerful viewing experience. The intense narrative unfolds in real-time, following the central family and the detectives as they seek answers after a devastating tragedy.
The first episode sees Jamie Miller (played by Owen Cooper) arrested and taken to a police station after police abruptly break into his family home. He is accused of killing a girl from his school – he is only 13-years-old. The rest of the series explores the reasons behind Jamie’s motive, which mirrors a mental health and social media crisis many boys and young men are facing today.
Speaking to Netflix’s Tudum, Graham, who plays the role of Jamies dad, Eddie Miller, said: “One of our aims was to ask, ‘What is happening to our young men these days, and what are the pressures they face from their peers, from the internet, and from social media?’ And the pressures that come from all of those things are as difficult for kids here as they are the world over.”
Who is Andrew Tate and what is ‘manosphere’ and 80-20 rule?
The manosphere refers to a network of websites, blogs, and online communities that advocate for traditional masculinity, often express misogynistic views, and resist feminist ideologies. Andrew Tate is viewed as many in the community as the ‘king’ of the ‘manopshere’. Since 2022, he has been actively targeting men and boys to build a cult following online.
He is a British-American social media figure known for his controversial views on women and traditional masculinity. Tate advocates that women should be under the authority of men, should not drive, and should stay at home.
He has controversially claimed that women should “bear responsibility” for instances of sexual assault. Tate has spent the last eight years residing in Romania and is being investigated by Romanian authorities for allegations of human trafficking and money laundering.
The term ‘incel’ is frequently mentioned in Adolescence, it stands for ‘involuntarily celibate’. Incel refers to a predominantly online community of individuals who identify as being unable to secure a romantic or sexual partner, despite their desire for one. This group often expresses frustration by blaming, objectifying, and disparaging women and girls.
It comes to light as the show progresses that Jamie’s state of mind had been shaped by ideas from the ‘manosphere’ and faced bullying from classmates who viewed him as an incel. In the ‘manosphere’, many believe in ‘red pills’, ‘truth groups’ and the ’80-20 rule’.
‘Red pills’ is a term used in the ‘manosphere’, referencing the hit 1999 film The Matrix. In the film, the main character Neo is asked if he wants to take a blue or red pill. The blue pill means he will continue living his regular life as he knows it, while taking the red pills means he will ‘see the truth’.
Being ‘red-pilled’ in the ‘manosphere’ signifies a ‘clear understanding of reality’. It implies that men of this community recognise the so-called genuine nature of women’s behaviour and dating choices, often perceiving them as ‘shallow’ and primarily attracted to traditional masculinity. This perspective leads to the belief that women are the root of the issues at hand.
Meanwhile, the ’80-20′ rule comes from the Pareto principle, which claims 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men. This appears to redirect the responsibility onto women for men who find it difficult to attract romantic partners, suggesting that women are considered too ‘picky’ to date different kinds of men.
The community is made up of ‘alphas’, ‘incels’, ‘MRAs’ (men’s rights activists) and ‘PUAs’ (pickup artists). Adolescence explores how these community members’ ‘fragile egos’ can cause a sense of entitlement rooted in anger.
For many parents, the ‘manosphere’ is a completely different and unknown world. As a character in the series mentions, it can leave mums and dads who don’t understand it “blundering around, not getting it.”
Where was Adolescence filmed?
Much of Adolescence was filmed in Pontefract in the City of Wakefield in West Yorkshire, England. Casting Cooper in the role of Jamie actually influenced where Adolescence was ultimately shot.
Speaking to Netflix’s Tudum, Barantini said: “We knew it was going to be set somewhere in the North of England, and we also knew it would be from somewhere around wherever our Jamie was from — in this case near Warrington — because it would have been unfair to make him do an accent.”
What does ‘filmed in one continuous shot’ mean?
“Basically that means we press record on the camera, and we don’t press stop until the very end of the hour,” Barantini explained. “But it’s much more complicated than it sounds.”
He added: “It takes months of preparation and weeks of rehearsals and an incredible team of people to pull it off at every stage, from the script to the locations to the production design to where exactly the camera is going to be able to shoot and from what angle.”
Where can I find mental health resources?
The NHS offers mental health support for children and young people. You can find more information on its website.
In addition to NHS mental health services, there are many other organisations for children and young people that provide information and services to help you manage your thoughts and feelings. If you are a parent or carer, you can suggest some of these to your child or get advice for yourself.
- Hub of Hope
- Find local services on the Mix website
- The Anna Freud Centre’s Youth Wellbeing Directory
- Youth Access
- YoungMinds
- Every Mind Matters